Brake-bleeding system



March 5, 1968 L. P. coNovER E T Al.

BRAKE- BLEEDING SYSTEM Filed Jan. 25, 1967 Loef/v P 65k/95h15?? l @g55/e 6/55//1/5 605511/ 47m/@vif 3,371,966 Patented Mar. 5, 1968 3,371,966 BRAKE-BLEEDING SYSTEM Loren l. Conover, 802 E. Virginia Ave., Glendora, Calif.

91740, and Hubert W. Gibbins, 3402 S. Lamar, Amarillo, Tex. 79109 Filed Jan. 2s, 1967, ser. No. 611,644 6 Claims. (Cl. 303--69) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Bleeding air brakes of a train of railroad cars (particularly freight cars) from the engine instead of the common practice of bleeding the brakes of the cars, one at a time, by hand operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION to desired locations. As can be realized from the foregoing, considerable time loss of the crew is incurred in waiting for the train brake bleeder to complete the bleeding operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A railroad train comprising an articulated structure having at least one engine or locomotive 5, and a plurality of cars 6, is conventionally provided with a train air line 7 connected to an air source 8 that extends from said engine, located in the engine. Each unit and 6 of a train is conventionally provided with an AB freight brake valve 9 that has various connections, as to the brake pipe, the auxiliary reservoir, the brake cylinder and, as by a line 10, to the emergency reservoir through the train line 7. For bleeding the air reservoirs of the brakes, each said brake valve 9 is provided with a duplex release valve 11. The above conventional means, by manual manipulation of the valve 11 of each AB valve 9, bleeds the emergency reservoir 8.

According to the invention, a three-way valve 15 is provided in the engine 5 and in one position connecting the air source 8 -and the air line 7, a vacuum source 16, said valve, in its second position connecting the vacuum source to said line 7, and an air bleeder 17 in each car connected to the line 7 and provided with an operating connection 18 with the release valve 11 of the brake valve 9 in each car 6, whereby all of the release valves 11 will be bled upon connection of line 7 to the vacuum source 16.

This invention has for its objects to provide means of the character above referred to that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of cons-- struction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description of the preferred embodiment and/ or in the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING l FIG. 1 is a semi-diagrammatic view of a railroad train provided with the vacuum-controlled bleeding system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one form of air bleeder used in the present system.

FIG. 3 is a similar view of another form of air bleeder.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The three-way valve 15 is shown with an air inlet 20 from the source 8 to one pont 21 of the valve, with an outlet 22 from the port 21 to the train air line 7, and with a connection 23 from the vacuum source 16 to said port 21, when moved to connect a branch 21a of said port 21 with the outlet 22. Thus, in one adjusted position of the valve 15, the line 7 is connected to the air source 8, and in the other position to the vacuum 16. It will be understood that said valve maybe located so as to be operable by the engineer or by any other authorized person in the engine.

The air bleeder 17 that is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises an outer housing 24, one wall 25 of which has a'connection 26 which is joined to the air line 7, a double diaphragm 27 within the housing, with a spring 28 to bias the latter in a direction away from said wall 25. Thus, a chamber 29 is formed in the housing between the wall 25 and diaphragm 27. When there is air in the line 7, said chamber will be under the pressure thereof.

The air bleeder 17a has a housing 30 in which a charnber 31 is formed between a piston 32 and a wall 33 0f the housing. A spring 34 in said chamber biases the pist0n in a direction away from said wall. A connection 35, open to said chamber, joins the line 7, as in the earlier described bleeder 17.

The operating connection 18 is shown as a stein 36 that extends from the-diaphragm 27 or the piston 32, as the case may be, a clevis 37 on the end of said stem, and an articulated connection v38 between said clevis and the handle 39 of the duplex release valve.

It will be clear that manual operation of each handle 39 will bleed the emergency air reservoir on the brakes of each car separately, as before, the articulated or ilexible connections permitting such manual and individual operation, if desired. Simultaneous bleeding of all the air reservoirs of a train may be had merely by setting the valve 15 to close oft air to line 17 and open it to vacuum, as described.

While only the cars 6 are shown with brake control means, lit will be understood that, in the usual way, the engine 5 is similarly equipped with the means 7, 9, 10, 11, 17 and 18 shown for the cars 6.

While the foregoing has illustrated and] described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the constructions are, of course, subject to modification Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular forms of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A brake-bleeding system for railroad trains in which each unit thereof is provided with an AB freight brake valve having a duplex release valve for bleeding said brake valve, and an air line extending from an air source along `said units, said system comprising:

(a) a bleeder device provided in each unit connected to said air line and attached to the mentioned release valve,

(b) means comprising a source of vacuum provided in one of said units,

(c) a three-Way valve provided in the latter unit and adapted, in a -irst operated position, to open said air line to the air source and, in a second operated position, to open said air line to the vacuum source, and

(d) a connection between each bleeder and each rcspective release valve to opera-'te the latter when the three-Way valve is in its second operated position.

2. A brake-bleeding system according to claim 1 in which said connection comprises articulated means to enable individual operation of the air-bleeding duplex release valve.

3. A brake-bleeding system according to claim 1 in which each bleeder device comprises:

(a) a housing having a chamber open to the air line,

(b) movable means in said housing biased in one direction by air from said air source and in the opposite direction by vacuum from the source thereof, and

(c) a stem connected to said movable means and comprising an element of the connection between the bleeder and the release valve.

4. A brake-bleeding system according to claim 3 in which the movable means comprises a flexible diaphragm.

5. A brake-bleeding system according to claim 3 in which the movable means comprises a piston on the mentioned stem.

6. A brake-bleeding system according to claim 3 in which a spring in said chamber engages the movable means to bias the same in a direction opposite to the direction of movement thereof when actuating the release valve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,140,125 7/1964 Racki 303--69 FERGUS S, MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner.

I. I. MCLAUGHLIN, Assistant Examiner. 

